“Bearer or Barrier”
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
I was at an event recently and heard a speaker talking about the importance of depending on God’s promises and sharing the good news of his promises with others. At one point the speaker made a statement along the lines of: we as the children of God are called to be “carriers and barriers” of God’s love and promises. I’m pretty sure this speaker meant to say “carriers and bearers,” but the familiar sound got stuck in this person’s mind and it just came out.
As one who misspeaks pretty much every time I speak, I am not sharing this story as a way of making fun of or criticizing the speaker. I depend too much on grace while speaking to withhold it in such an obvious case of the wrong word coming out.
But this Freudian slip got me thinking, while we are to be carriers and bearers of God’s love and promises, how often do we default into being barriers to it instead? Jesus declared to all who were burdened and weary to follow him and find a yoke that is not cumbersome and draining, but one which is energizing and life-affirming. Later in Matthew, Jesus is confronted by the religious leaders and chastises them for adding undo burdens and obstacles between would be followers and God. They prescribe all these extra laws and rituals people must follow in order to be deemed holy. Jesus promises his way is different, his load is light not burdensome. (And while he also promises it is easy, this is only because of his assistance carrying said load – we all know following Jesus will not always be easy and without sacrifice.)
How many times are we as individuals, or we as a church, more like those religious leaders than like Jesus? How many of us have constructed barriers to grace which Jesus simply did not prescribe or adhere to? It can be much easier for us to say following God requires obeying a list of laws and rules and policies dictated by man than it is to bear forth a faith defined by a relationship of loving and honoring God and others.
Hearing this simple misspoken word the other day led me to a time of reflection and confession for those times I have not been a bearer of God’s love to others, but rather been a barrier to it. I encourage you to spend a few minutes considering how you can spend more time bearing God’s love and hope to others, rather than being a barrier to it.
Blessings, Chris
Mission
To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
Vision
Nelson Memorial UMC seeks to be a place where all God’s broken, hurting, and imperfect children discover wholeness and community while experiencing the warm and welcoming love of Jesus Christ. We seek to connect with one another to grow in our knowledge and love of God, to encourage each person to live out their unique calling to serve God, and to make a difference in the Boonville community and throughout the world.
Priorities
Developing and Nurturing Faith in Children and Youth
Fostering Growth and Community in Worship and Small Groups
Provide Opportunities to Serve God in Boonville and Beyond
Worship This Week
This Sunday we continue our message series for the season of Lent titled “Dear Heavenly Father.” This series is focused on the spiritual practice of prayer and seeks to provide some practical tools for increasing your practice of prayer. This week our message is titled “Ask” and will focus on the scripture in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 7, verses 7 through 11.
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are sinful, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those ask him!
Our 8:00 service will begin with the song Heaven Help Me by Zach Williams. The 10:20 service will begin with our praise band leading us in the song Good, Good Father. Our hymns for the morning include Seek Ye First, and What A Friend We Have in Jesus. Our praise song will be Your Grace is Enough.
Virtual Worship Information
In addition to in-person worship, each Sunday we will live-stream our 10:20 worship service. The service can be viewed on our Facebook Page. The service will start at 10:20 with our gathering song. Additionally, we post a recording of our message each week to our website by early Sunday afternoon. We are excited to be able to extend our worship services in these ways.
COVID Updates
We would like to thank everyone for their flexibility with our Covid practices over the past two years. Currently, the Covid infection and hospitalization rates are low and we encourage you to continue to practice the measures you feel necessary during this time. No mandates are in place at this time, but we do encourage everyone to continue to consider and respect the boundaries others are setting. Again, thank you for your diligence over the past couple of years and hopefully we are now learning to live with this terrible virus in ways that are safe for ourselves and others.
Announcements
Holy Week Schedule
- Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday worship service on Sunday, April 10th.
- Maundy Thursday worship service on April 14th at 7:00 pm.
- Good Friday worship service on April 15th at 7:00 pm.
- On Easter Sunday, April 17th, our worship services will be at 8:00 am and 10:20 am.
Men’s Retreat and Camp Sagrada Work Day – The Men’s Retreat and Workday at Cam Sagrada has been rescheduled to the weekend of April 1 & 2. All men and male youth are invited! We will leave the church at 4pm Friday and carpool to the camp. (You may meet us there later if this works better.) We will have a dinner at the camp and devotion Friday evening. Saturday we will have breakfast, work through the morning, have lunch and finish up projects in the afternoon. We plan to be back home by about 6 pm Saturday. If you are interested in attending, please sign up on the sheet in the East Wing. If you have any questions, please talk with Tim VonEnglen or call him at 660-882-3348.
Easter Lily Orders – It’s that time again to order your Lilies for our Easter Sunday services. Those of you that would like to purchase an Easter Lilley in memory of or in honor of a loved one, please fill out a form that is located on the table in the refreshment area or by the front doors. Please return the form to the church by Sunday, March 28th or place it in the offering box. This will give Marcey from Stella’s Florist plenty of time to order the lilies. Please make checks payable in the amount of $12.00 to Nelson Memorial, UMC, and in the memo line write Easter Lily. The lilies will help beautify the sanctuary for Easter and will be displayed at the Easter services. You may take your lily home after the 10:20 a.m., Easter service.
Easter Cards for Elders & Friends – This year again we are asking the congregation to mail out Easter cards or other greeting cards with your own personal Easter greeting. The addresses for the names listed below will be located on the refreshment table or on the counter next to the front entrances.
Florence Banion, Jack Bell, Frances Bradley, Virginia Brownfield, Mary Margaret Browning, Ada Gingrich, Ann Hartmann, Margaret Hopkins, Phillis Otis, Bart Riley, Carol Schenck, Leona Schmidt, Helen Taylor, John Tincher, Hessie Watts, and Dorothy Whitten.
We know all the recipients will experience a special Easter blessing because of the thoughtfulness of all those who participate in this endeavor. Thank you for remembering these special people.
100th Birthday Card Shower – On Saturday, April 2nd Ann Hartmann will be turning 100. It would be wonderful if we could flood her mailbox with many birthday blessings! Her address is Sylvia Thompson Residence, 3333 West 10th Street, Sedalia, MO 65301. If you would like to give her a call and wish her a Happy Birthday her number is (660) 882-6366. NOTE – The address listed last week for Ann was incorrect. She has moved to the above listed address.
Blood Drive – Our next Red Cross Blood Drive is scheduled for Monday, April 25 from 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm in our Fellowship Hall. Giving blood is a meaningful and important way to help be a part of the healing process for others. To make an appointment to participate, please click here.
Events this week:
Sunday, March 27: Financial Peace University, Noon, Church Lounge
Youth, 12:00 – 1:30, Fellowship Hall
Monday, March 28: TOPS, 9:30 am, Foundations Classroom
Al-Anon, 8:00 pm, Church Lounge
Wednesday, March 30: Women’s Bible Study, 10:15 am, Church Lounge
Al Anon, Noon, Church Lounge
Friday, April 1: Al-Anon, 7:00 pm, Lounge
Closing Words of Wisdom:
The sin underneath all our sins is to trust the lie of the serpent that we cannot trust the love and grace of Christ and must take matters into our own hands” ~ Martin Luther
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.